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Today I went to the crocodile park
I had a terrible nights sleep last night. Firstly, one girl was too cold and switched off the aircon (cardigan?). Then another women comes in and switches the light on. Clearly me and the other girl are asleep, but she didn't care. Even when pissed you can muster a 'sorry', and she seem old enough to know better (about 40yrs I'd say). I say to her "If you give it a couple of seconds your eyes will adjust", because the curtains are quite thin. She just ignores me. Then I say "Can you at least turn on the light around the corner, so it isn't so bright". She says "Where?". I repeat "Around the corner". She does this and then goes into the bathroom, leaving light on!?! Some people! She is the rudest person I've had to share a room with so far. Plus, I have big welts on my legs due to sandflies because I didn't cover myself due to being�too hot
Anywho, I left at 1030 to catch a bus to the Crocodile park. I get to Darwin Interchange, which is just around the corner. Bummer, a bus left at 1020 and the next isn't until 1150. The bus stop timetables are funny here. Rather than telling you what time the buses leave from that stop, or even the closest major stopping place, they tell you what time they leave the starting point of the route. This is fine if you are travelling from�or close to the start point, but if you're in the middle somewhere, how the hell are you supposed to know when the bus will turn up? If they told you the average time of the total journey, then you may be able to work it out. But they don't. Really bloody useful.
Anywho, I killed sometime at the internet cafe.
When I finally got on the bus, the bus driver was very helpful. He told me where to get off the bus and directed me to the park, telling me to cut through the bush rather than use the walkways as it's much quicker. I've just started reading a very battered copy of Down Under by Bill Bryson, so I was too scared to do that! I'm glad that I've only started reading now and not prior to sleeping in the bush - I would have been scared out of my wits!
When I got to the park I had just missed one of the tours. The lady behind the desk said that I could catch up to them or wait until the 2.00pm tour. I decided to wait and peruse the park at my leisure. I was glad I did, as I had the park pretty much to myself. That meant that I could talk to the animals as much and as loudly as I pleased. I had great fun .
They have quite a few different animals: tigers, lions, wallabies, walleroos and kangeroos, birds (including scary Emus), primates. Plus crocodiles and�aligators. They have loads and loads�of�crocs.
The tour was really good too - only 4 people including myself. This meant that I�got to ask lots of questions, feed�2 crocodiles and hold a baby croc for as long as I wanted. It was all good.
The guide described how a lot of the crocs got there. Some are bred there and are either kept, or sold for meat and clothing.�Others have been captured in the wild because they are been causing trouble. She said that one of the crocs was there because it had been kicked out of its territory. I asked if it was kicked out by humans or other crocodiles. She said the latter. I wondered what rules of social ettiquette the croc broke to get itself otracized �They are such brutal animals that I figured there state of nature would be similar to that of Hobbes: War or everyone against everyone... where life is nasty, brutish and short. But I guess that an animal that has not changed for over 250 million years must have some kinds of rules of engagement.
Anywho, I had a great time!
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